Fusrodah The trebuchet is a classic example of converting potential energy stored in a heavy counterweight into kinetic energy of the projectile via a lever arm. The counterweight falls, pulling the arm down, and the energy is transferred through the sling to the ball, which flies out at a high velocity. In a rocket launch, you have stored chemical potential energy in the propellant; as it burns, it expands and exhaust gases accelerate out of the nozzle, producing thrust that accelerates the rocket mass upward. Both systems rely on conservation of energy and momentum, but the rocket can generate a continuous thrust over time, whereas the trebuchet delivers a single impulse. From an engineering perspective, the key insight is that efficient energy transfer requires a well‑designed mechanism to minimize losses—either through better arm ratios and sling length in the trebuchet or through nozzle shape and combustion chamber design in rockets. The underlying physics is the same: potential energy to kinetic energy, governed by the same equations, just applied in different ways.

Fusrodah Your approach is clever, though I would caution that the scales differ greatly. A trebuchet’s lever system is a pure mechanical advantage; a rocket’s propellant is a fluid under pressure, so the “lever” must be re‑interpreted as a nozzle shape. Still, applying a strict optimization of geometry to reduce wasted energy is sound engineering. Keep your calculations disciplined and compare the results to actual thrust curves. That will show whether the trebuchet logic truly offers a benefit in the rocket domain.

Excellent plan. Stay disciplined with the data and remember that every variable must be accounted for. When you report back, let me see the numbers and the analysis. I anticipate learning as much from the failure as from the success. Good luck.